Fantasy Football Player Rankings: Running Backs

Posts: 4543 · Posted: Aug 19, 2006 7:54 pm

Fantasy Football Player Rankings: Running Backs

Prior to the weekly rankings, here is the second in a series of pre-season rankings for the 2006 season. The...

Posts: 795 · FIC All-Star Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 795

great article! I like your insight on many of the rb's and the sleepers listed

Posts: 885 · Posted: Aug 20, 2006 10:48 pm

number 22 for a rookie.

Posts: 8671 · Posted: Aug 22, 2006 12:03 am

id just like to mention that whoever the eagles big back turns out to be (could be bruce perry, maybe they sign stephen davis) could be good.

Posts: 6142 · Posted: Aug 29, 2006 7:07 pm

Rankings updated.

Unlike the QB rankings, there has been a ton of activity among the RBs -- so much that instead listing the changes individually, I will go by the NFL activity and group the players affected by the moves. Then, I'll pick up any stragglers at the end. One nice thing is that a few of my Super-Duper sleepers -- guys that needed something big to happen to move them up the chart -- already are making their mark.

Kevan Barlow to NYJ -- this move affected Frank Gore, Maurice Hicks, Michael Robinson for SF, and Curtis Martin, Cedric Houston, Derrick Blaylock for NYJ. The move affected Barlow's value only slightly, as he's gone from a team with two RBs fighting for a starting job to a team with three RBs fighting for a starting job. Plus, two of the four teams with the fewest rushing attempts last year in the NFL were SF and NYJ, so that didn't help his value much. I moved him up eight spots into borderline No. 3 fantasy starter territory.

The big winner was Gore, who went from a strong RBBC situation to a starting job, bumping him up six spots into solid No. 2 RB territory. Now he just has to stay healthy and perform to that level -- he has the talent. Smith and Robinson moved up to the No. 2 and 3 RBs in SF, making them Super-Deep sleeper prospects.

Martin has been put on the PUP list, and the Barlow acquisition took a little shine off of Blaylock and Houston, but not to the level they were at when Martin was healthy. They still have some value -- in fact, Blaylock's play bumped him up a few spots, but Houston's knocked his down a few. They will be in the mix before it's over.

T.J. Duckett to WAS -- This move affected the value of Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood of ATL and Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts for WAS. Duckett moved from a backup role to a scatback to a backup role to a potential top-5 RB. The only positive affect this has on Duckett's value lies in Portis' injury. Duckett should be heaviliy used in short-yardage and goal line situations. He moved up six spots.

Portis dropped five spots. A small part was further analysis of Portis' injury (nothing worsened), but the biggest factor was the arrival of Duckett. He will vulture several of Portis' goal line carries, especially early in the season. Betts looked to take a big uptick in value with Portis' injury -- instead, his value went down with the acquisition of Duckett (a net drop of five spots).

Dunn was already ranked pretty high, so there wasn't much room for him to move in my rankings. He did move up two spots to No. 15.

The biggest winner in Duckett deal was Norwood. Originally listed as a Super-Duper Sleeper, he vaulted up to No. 45 (a couple of spots ahead of where Duckett was). Norwood will be worked into his role, but he has shown in the pre-season that he can handle the workload. He won't naturally get all of Duckett's goal line carries, but he will get his share.

The Domanick Davis injury -- He has gone from a borderline No. 1 fantasy back to a borderline No. 2 in my original rankings to a risky No. 3 pick, having dropped from 23 to 39. Vernand Morency has vaulted from No. 60 to No. 42, and Wali Lundy from Super-Duper Sleeper status to No. 49. Morency and Lundy (both are strong inside runners with very little speed) are must acquisition with great upsides.

The lovely Bronco RB situation -- I guess Shanahan wasn't lying -- Mike Bell is stil No. 1 in Denver, so he's jumped from No. 39 to 27. I still wouldn't be surprised if this is still up in the air in his head -- it could go either way. Tatum Bell has dropped from No. 26 to No. 29 and Ron Dayne has dropped out of the top 60. But don't be surprised if Cedric Cobbs enters into the equation.

Reuben Droughns/Jerome Harrison -- Harrison's impressive work in the preseason sets him up for additional work during the season. Droughns dropped two spots (Dunn took one of them), while Harrison improved from the Super-Duper Sleeper list into the top 60.

Greg Jones injury -- With Jones out for the season, Fred Taylor moved up a couple of spots, while Maurice Jones-Drew moved up six spots.

Domanic Rhodes/Joseph Addai -- Swapped their spots as Rhodes remains the starter. But Addai is still in a great spot to succeed in Indy.

LenDale White -- It doesn't look like Chris Brown will be traded (at the moment), so White slipped five spots. He will still be in the mix, as will Travis Henry.

Verron Haynes/Duce Staley -- Haynes has the No. 2 spot in Pittsburgh, so Haynes dropped five spots, Staley dropped five spots and sits right behind Haynes.

Whew.